To put it simply: 20-volume developer cream is a chemical product designed to react in hair, not for large-scale household cleaning.
Here's why it's not a good idea to use it in the washing machine or for "general" house disinfecting, and what it is useful for:
Why NOT to use it in the washing machine or for general cleaning
- Its consistency (The biggest problem): Being a thick cream, it contains waxes and thickeners. In the washing machine, these residues can accumulate in the pipes and drum, and it doesn't distribute evenly on clothes, which can leave concentrated white stains in one spot.
- Difficulty rinsing: If you use it to scrub large surfaces or floors, it will leave a dull, sticky layer. You'll have to mop or wipe several times just to remove the product.
- Not efficient as an "air" disinfectant: Liquid hydrogen peroxide can be sprayed; cream cannot. You cannot quickly disinfect an environment or a large surface with it.
- Risk of damage: At 20 volumes (6%), it's strong enough to bleach a carpet, sofa, or colored garment if a drop accidentally falls on it.
What uses is it excellent for? (Specific uses)
The advantage of it being a cream is that it doesn't drip. This makes it perfect for "localized treatments" where you need the product to stay put and act:
- 1. Whitening yellowed plastics: This is its star use. If you have a remote control, microwave, or old console that has yellowed from the sun, spread the cream on it, wrap it in cling film, and leave it in the sun for a few hours. The change is magical.
- 2. Cleaning tile grout: In the bathroom or kitchen, grout turns black or yellow. Because it's a cream, you can apply it with an old brush to the tile lines, let it sit for 20 minutes, then rinse. It won't run off like liquid.
- 3. Stubborn blood stains: If you have a blood stain on a white sheet or a light-colored garment, put a little cream directly on it. You'll see it bubble. Leave it for a while, then rub it a little before hand-washing it in cold water.
- 4. Mold in corners: In shower corners where black mold appears, apply the cream. Its texture allows the active oxygen to "eat" the fungus for longer than if it were a liquid that washes down the drain.
Safety summary
- Wear gloves: If you touch 20-volume cream directly, your fingers will turn white and itch (it's a mild chemical burn).
- Do not mix: Never combine it with bleach or ammonia.
only for white clothes and in a very localized manner.
As it is a 20-volume (6%) cream, it is more potent than regular pharmacy hydrogen peroxide (which is usually 10 volumes). Here's how to use it correctly so it's effective and doesn't ruin your clothes:
Why is it good?
- Removes yellowing: It restores luminosity to garments that have lost their original white due to sweat or time.
- Goodbye to organic stains: It is infallible against stains of blood, sweat, or wine on white fabrics.
- Not bleach: Unlike bleach (chlorine), active oxygen does not usually weaken fibers as much if used carefully, nor does it yellow clothes over time.
How to use it (and how NOT to)
- Direct application on stains: Apply a little cream directly onto sweat stains (collars, armpits) or bloodstains. Let it act for a maximum of 10-15 minutes. Do not let it dry completely, as the 6% concentration could start to "eat away" at the fabric fibers.
- Do not put it directly into the washing machine dispenser: Since it's a cream, it doesn't dissolve well and can leave clumps on clothes or in the pipes.
- Soaking for general whitening: If you want to whiten an entire garment, it's best to dissolve a little of the cream in a basin of warm water, stir very well until there are no clumps, and let the garment soak for about half an hour before washing it normally.
Be careful with this!
- White clothes only: Do not use it on colored clothes unless you want to create a faded effect. At 20 volumes, it is strong enough to remove the color from a blue or black t-shirt in a few minutes.
- Be careful with delicate fabrics: Avoid using it on silk or wool, as the oxidation process can be too aggressive for these natural fibers.
- Rinse very well: Make sure no cream residue remains before drying clothes, especially if you are going to hang them in the sun, to avoid strange stains.
It is a very potent disinfectant, but the problem is not the active oxygen, but the other ingredients in the cream formulation.
Here's the key clarification:
1. Why is it a disinfectant?
Hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi through oxidation. At 20 volumes (6%), it is even stronger than what you use for wounds.
2. Why NOT use it on food surfaces (countertops, cutting boards, tables)?
Unlike liquid hydrogen peroxide from the pharmacy, hairdressing cream contains chemical additives to give it that texture:
- Fatty alcohols and waxes: These are used to prevent the dye from dripping into the hair.
- Stabilizers and fragrances: Chemicals that are not suitable for human consumption.
The risk: If you clean a countertop or cutting board with the cream, you will leave a non-food chemical residue (a film of wax or grease) that can directly transfer to your food. Wiping it down is not enough; you would need to scrub it with a lot of dish soap to remove that chemical grease.
3. The danger of porosity
If you use it on a wooden cutting board or a porous stone countertop (such as poorly sealed marble or granite), the cream will penetrate the pores. The disinfectant evaporates, but the cream's chemicals remain trapped there.
Summary of where YES and where NO:
- YES (Non-food areas): Tile grout, mold on the bathroom ceiling, whitening appliance plastics (exterior).
- NO (Food areas): Countertops, the inside of the refrigerator, cutting boards, or cutlery.
To disinfect the kitchen, it is much better to use regular liquid hydrogen peroxide (which only leaves water and oxygen when it evaporates) or rubbing alcohol.